Document 26: “Proclamation
by the Governor of the State of Colorado,” The Queen Bee, 15 (27 December
1893), p. 1.

Introduction

Davis
H. Waite, a leader of the Knights of Labor and a strong supporter of votes
for women, was elected Governor of the State of Colorado in November 1892.
He endorsed the 1893 referendum campaign, although the very next year, when
he lost his bid for a second term as governor, he blamed his defeat on, and
felt betrayed by, Colorado’s women. Waite issued the proclamation that made
woman suffrage the law of the State of Colorado, and Caroline Nichols Churchill
(1833-1926) printed it in her newspaper The Queen Bee.

PROCLAMATION,

BY

THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE
OF COLORADO.

________

WHEREAS,
The Ninth General Assembly of the State of Colorado passed an act, approved
April 7, 1893, entitled “An act to submit to the qualified electors
of the State the question of extending the right of suffrage to women
of lawful age, and otherwise qualified, according to the provisions
of Article 7, Section 2, of the constitution of Colorado,” and

WHEREAS,
The said question as provided in Section 2, of said said act, was submitted
to the qualified voters of the State of Colorado, at the general election
held on Tuesday, November 7, 1893; and

WHEREAS,
After canvass of the official returns of said election by the State
Canvassing Board, it appeared that of the votes cast 35,798 votes were
cast for “Equal Suffrage Approved,” and 29,451 votes were cast for “Equal
Suffrage Not Approved,” And that the majority for “Equal Suffrage Approved”
was 6,357 votes.

NOW,
WHEREFORE, I, DAVIS H. WAITE, Governor of Colorado, do hereby proclaim,
as provided in Section 5, of said Act, that every female person, a resident
in Colorado, shall be entitled to vote at all elections in the same
manner in all respects as male persons, and subject to the same qualifications.